Are you a fan of pre-painted plastic figures used at the game table for RPGs?

Actually, I am noit much given to employing miniatures when playing an RPG. I agree with Plato's assessment of spectacle being the least element of tragedy...

What I really do enjoy, however, is tabletop combat with miniatures; and pre-painted is the way to go as far as I am concerned, as I no longer have the desire, time, nor eyeseight to manage a proper job of painting myself.

As the new D&D is betond redemption in my view, there are no suggestions I can make in regards to improving it.
Cheers,
Gary

Hmmm.. So, does that mean you've completely given up on any new D&D stuff that wizards puts out, or are you hopeful about the possible 4th edition that everybody (at least around here) has been obsessesing over?
Maybe hopeful is going too far.. How about will you give it a chance, or a pass?

Intelligence is the capacity to understand old Ideas.
Imagination is the ability to come up with New Ideas.

I intend to place an order through Amazon sometime in late May or early June, and I'll get at least one Gene Wold them, along with an alternate history novel ot two, and some historical novels as well.

Hmmm.. So, does that mean you've completely given up on any new D&D stuff that wizards puts out, or are you hopeful about the possible 4th edition that everybody (at least around here) has been obsessesing over?
Maybe hopeful is going too far.. How about will you give it a chance, or a pass?

Here are the RPGs I am or will soon GM:Lejendary AdventureLejendary AsteRogues (coming out late this year, I hope)OD&D
OAD&D

I will happily play:
The above RPGsMetamorphisis Alpha
Any nin-rules-heavy RPG that someone else is willing to run for the group.

When you designed the game and wrote the DMG and other materials for a DM (including adventure modules and Dragon magazine articles), were you thinking of the DM as a participant separate from the character players? A DM as someone who always was the DM, and someone to whom you [the designer] spoke to differently?

I’m having a hard time phrasing my questions, so please bear with me as I try to explain.

Did you consider the DM as a regular role for just one person in the gaming group, instead of a role taken up by anyone and everyone in a group at some time or other? Much of your guidance and advice seems to talk to the DM as someone leading/guiding the game group overall and regularly – sort of a teacher or master or president of the group – rather than just another member of the group who might happen to have the reigns (so to speak) just for a game session or adventure this week or month or year.

Is this how you envisioned the role of DM? That only the one person in the game group would/should own and read the DMG? That only that one person would always be the DM for that group?

Was that the expectation for most D&D game groups at the time? That only one person would regularly/ever be the DM, and all the others would only be character players? And only the DM should have any book beyond the Player’s Handbook?

Do you think that a game group is better to have a set DM who always runs the game? Or could/should anyone or everyone in the game group take the role occasionally?

In general I envisaged the DM as a special member of the group, the one most dedicated to providing creative and imaginative material that would serve the other participants in their adventuring. The DM is nothing without the group, the group is nothing without the DM. these disparate elements are necessary to have a whole. The DM can also be a player, probably wants to take such a role a good deal of the time, but many players have no desire to assume the role of the DM, because of the responsibility and effort required.

If you want to read good new fantasy, I would suggest Wolfe's New Sun cycle and Wizard Knight cycle, and M. John Harrison Viriconium Knights. All those books are very much D&D - monsters, artifacts, humanoids, space voyages, other planes etc.

Both New Sun and Viriconium describe very old Earth. They are essentially without magic - at least of the usual sort. There is a lot of very unusual magic, however. Usual people live on medieval level, but noblemen and adventurers can use plasma pistols, antigrav ships, energy swords, and exoskeletons.

As for monsters - on Urth of the New Sun cycle the typical animals are smilodons, arcotheriums etc. White wolves are rumoured to live in the walls of the invisible palace of the Autarch. Demented star-sailor uses teleporting mirrors to summon deadly and strange beings from far suns in order to kill his enemies. The alzabo devours the memories of its victims and speaks with their voices. The whole of Commonwealth is ruled by secret words and spells, which allow to direct the old forgotten machines and the servants of the Autarch. In the seas live the gigantic demons brought from stars. Their servants can become immortals, but must grow so great that they cannot walk upon the earth and must join their masters in the sea. In the Botanic Gardens of the Autarch all his subjects can for free see the enviroments from the oldest antiquity - and even meet denizens of that time, since the Gardens spread through time. Some of the soldiers of the Autarch are gen-engineered - eg dog-like faithful pandurs and winged anpiels.

All resources have been exhausted long ago, and now the mines serve to excavate the artifacts of antiquity.

Wizard-Knight describes a world divided into planes - above the middle earth there is the plane of gods, with the turreted castle of Valhalla floating in the sky like a star. Below the Earth there is the plane of the fey, and still deeper the plane of dragons. The lowest is the plane of the Lowest God. There are giants in the north, and (very different from them) giant-women. In the east dwell Osterlings, who used to be men, but now have to eat human meat to regain human form. (Their best depiction would be Persians from the film 300). The foundations of the Tower of Glass are on the plane of elves, but its top reaches the Middle Earth as an island in the sea. It is filled with armoury made by the Dragon-king. The volcano reaches down to the fiery plane of dragons.

In general I envisaged the DM as a special member of the group, the one most dedicated to providing creative and imaginative material that would serve the other participants in their adventuring. The DM is nothing without the group, the group is nothing without the DM. these disparate elements are necessary to have a whole. The DM can also be a player, probably wants to take such a role a good deal of the time, but many players have no desire to assume the role of the DM, because of the responsibility and effort required.

Does that answer your questions?

Yes, it does. Thanks for responding.

I have follow up questions, if you don’t mind more.

What age did you think/consider the average D&D Player (character player and DM)? What mentality, maturity, and experience level did you write to? Did you write for 13-year-old kids, 25-year-old adults, or 40-year-old senior citizens*?

Quasqueton

* Note: I am two months from my 40th birthday, so this is written with tongue in cheek.